A surge in online shopping during the pandemic could be an extra gift to so-called “porch pirates” looking to nab packages during the peak holiday season. One report from north of Seattle revealed the lengths to which some thieves will apparently go.
Police in Everett, Wash., said a recent suspect in a package theft was wearing a new Amazon jacket in an effort to pass as a delivery driver for the tech giant. Aaron Snell, public information officer for the Everett Police Department, told GeekWire that police don’t believe the uniform is sold to the public.
“Company specific uniforms might be stolen, ‘borrowed,’ found, or loaned by current employees as criminals try to look less suspicious,” Snell said. “If unable to get company specific uniforms, many criminals wear similar clothing for the same reason.”
The disguise effort was first reported by KIRO 7 News last week. Everett Police Det. Danny Rabelos told the station that his department had seen a “spike in thieves masquerading as delivery drivers,” while others are reportedly following delivery trucks to wait for packages to be left at homes.
Snell didn’t have any additional information on the supposed Amazon uniform being used, but offered up tips police share with residents concerned about having something stolen:
- Track shipments and subscribe to notifications.
- Retrieve packages immediately or have them delivered to work, a friend’s house, or locked boxes.
- Place a mail hold if leaving for vacation.
- Use visible home surveillance cameras that help deter theft.
- Report suspicious behavior in their neighborhood.
Amazon spokesperson Gaby Balayla didn’t have any response to the alleged crime in Everett, roughly 30 miles north of the company’s Seattle headquarters, but she said that the vast majority of deliveries make their way to customers without issue. If something does occur, Amazon works with customers to make it right, she said.
Beyond the advice offered by police, Amazon has a variety of methods it offers to better safeguard deliveries including order tracking through the Amazon app and an Amazon Estimated Delivery Window to help customers plan around a delivery. Amazon Day also enables Prime members to choose to receive all of their orders on one day of the week. Amazon Hub is the company’s network of package pickup and return locations, including Locker, Counter and Locker+ in more than 900 cities and towns across the U.S.
Finder.com reported in November that theft has become commonplace for more shoppers stuck at home during the pandemic. Roughly 14% of Americans say they’ve been victims of package theft in the last 12 months, according to a recent survey by Finder. That figure equates to about 35.5 million American victims and a loss of about $5.4 billion from package theft over the past year.
